Pages

A Shadowed Path Podcast Episode 4: Dark Fantasy

Ok, this episode basically wrote itself. All I needed to do was figure out the order, and just how much of the Legend soundtrack I was gonna play. The format once again slightly changes with this episode, but I think it came out fairly well. So let's check out all the goodies within this episode...

Clearly, this needs no intro, I just wanted an excuse to show that gloriously iconic album cover featuring Mr. Tim Curry in full Darkness regalia. Part of me is happy that my copy is warped to shit, meaning I will never be able to sell it because of its current condition. However, you can purchase the vinyl or CD format, or even the film on Streaming or Download or Blu-Ray from these hotlinks provided.

This soundtrack, to me, is perfect. It instills the same feelings I had the very first time I heard it, way back in 1985. Truly magical.

Choosing the books to talk about in this episode was a no-brainer. I knew exactly which ones to choose, and not just because the Fantasy section of my personal library is quite limited.

First up is honestly my favorite book ever, Are All the Giants Dead? by Mary Norton and illustrated by the infamous Brian Froud. A magical fairy tale about fairy tales for kids and adults alike.

Next is the ONLY 9-volume series I have ever read, or probably will ever read. This is the Witches of Eileanan series (or Dragonclaw in the UK) by the very prolific Kate Forsyth. The commitment is truly daunting, but worth every.single.minute of your life. Below are the original 6 volumes in the series, followed by the additional 3, an offshoot, called Rhiannon's Ride.

Then I went into my love affair of Neil Gaiman the writer, but more importantly, the man. He has been a source of pure inspiration for me not only as a writer, but as a reader as well.

It was a real pleasure to be able to play a couple of spoken word tracks from An Evening with Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer. If you're a fan of either, I highly recommend picking it up. A double live album full of all kinds of treasures.

Even though I am an ardent fan of Neil's for the person he is, more than for his writings, I especially enjoy his short story collections, of which there are several. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is added because it's probably my favorite novel of Neil's.

HONORABLE MENTION: Unfortunately, I failed to include this little book into Neil's section. It is the written form of his 'Make Good Art' commencement speech given at the University of the Arts Philadelphia 2012 graduating class.

...and because it is just that good, here's the actual speech from the man himself. It doesn't matter which form of art you work within, his words will put a fire in your belly to get out there and DO IT, whatever IT is.

With that, there's another episode in the can. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. Please stay tuned for episode 5 due to air on Dec. 11th. Thanks for listening!